College of Staten Island Public History Coronavirus Chronicle Facebook Page
Focus
This project seeks to create an online exhibit and oral history repository on the history of the first wave of COVID-19 on Staten Island. Based in the Advanced Certificate in Public History at the Department of History in the College of Staten Island, it is the only such project focusing on Staten Island that is gathering oral histories from a representative sample of the population.
History
Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic sent New York City into quarantine, Professors Susan Smith-Peter and Joseph Frusci created a Facebook community page so that Staten Islanders could share their stories, as well as their digital photos and videos to show how the pandemic was impacting their lives. Prof. Frusci had students conduct oral histories, while Prof. Smith-Peter’s archival studies class cataloged the digital collections of the Facebook page. The Museum of the City of New York chose 7 items from the Facebook page out of more than 20,000 submissions for their exhibit New York Responds: The First Six Months, which dealt with COVID in NYC.
Collection
It includes photos, video blogs, interviews, Facebook posts
Form of Collection
Digital forms such as recordings, photos, transcriptions of interviews, video blogs are included.
Emphasis
It is devoted to all of Staten Island.
Time Period
It is mainly focused on the first wave of the virus on Staten Island. It may be brought into the present if oral histories cover more recent topics.
Public Access
The Facebook page is available online at:
https://www.facebook.com/sicoronaviruschronicle/
Transcriptions of oral histories will be available at the College of Staten Island Archives, College of Staten Island Library, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
Director
Susan Smith-Peter, Coordinator, History MA and Public History programs, College of Staten Island/ CUNY
Contact Person
Susan Smith-Peter
Email: susan.smithpeter@csi.cuny.edu
Telephone number: 848-565-8683